New York Rangers: Jeff Gorton’s top priorities #6-10

#9 Players in Europe

The Rangers currently have four players on loan to teams in Europe.  Vitali Kravtsov and Yegor Rykov are in Russia  Lias Andersson is in Swdeen and Adam Huska is in Slovakia. When the NHL is ready to resume, the Blueshirts have to decide if they want to recall any of these players.

This is a sticky wicket for Jeff Gorton, a tougher call than you may think.  Loaning these prospects to teams in Europe is nothing but beneficial for them.  The KHL season has already started and the seasons in Sweden and Slovakia are ready to begin in a couple weeks.  By the time the NHL is ready to go, all four will have been playing meaningful games for weeks.

Goalie Adam Huska is clearly on loan and will be headed to the Hartford Wolf Pack as soon as thye are ready for him.  It’s the other three players who are question marks.    Gorton has to decide if wants to disrupt their seasons and bring any of them back to North America.  The challenge is while they may be having excellent seasons, there is no guarantee that they will make the varsity if them come back.

The last thing the Rangers want is a repeat of last season when Kravtsov and Andersson were disillusioned by their bad experiences in North America.  Suppose Kravtsov is excelling in the KHL, is forced to return to New York and then finds himself assigned to Hartford by David Quinn.

Yegor Rykov could potentially be an answer to the left side of the defense, especially if he is playing well for CSKA Moscow, one of the best teams in the KHL.  How would he take it if he gives up a top six role for CSKA and gets sent to Hartford?   The Lias Andersson saga is well known and it is clear he is more comfortable playing in Sweden.  A full season with HV71 could be exactly what Andersson needs to rebuild his confidence and revive his chances of actually contributing as a Ranger.

Faced with these issues, Gorton may decide that the team would be better off leaving the three skaters in Europe and letting them finish out their seasons.  With the NHL seasons supposed to start in December and potentially delayed till later, Gorton could still bring them over and they could play meaningful games without “abandoning” their European teams.

The Blueshirts could actually get a windfall of talent in the spring when the KHL, SHL and Liiga seasons end.  Besides the three players under contract, top  prospects like Nils Lundkvist, Kark Henriksson and Lauri Pajuniemi could sign their Entry Level deals and finish the season in New York or Hartford.

The addition of those kind of reinforcements for a stretch run could be a shot in the arm and  have a huge effect on the team, especially if they are in contention for a playoff spot. It’s a decision that Gorton will have to consider carefully as it could impact the team for years to come.